West Yorkshire pcc seeking powers to ban edl protests

I think that the two things are different – a road race is not an expression of political opposition to something, it’s a leisure activity, or for some people a job.

I disagree with the EDL as much, if not more than the next person, but I wouldn’t want to see them martyred like this – if they are banned, then the poisonous ideas they promulgate will get even greater coverage, which is something I’d personally like to avoid – challenging them where they are remains to me the most effective way of countering them, and there are few if any times where the EDL have marched in recent months where those opposing them have not out numbered them by a significant margin – which can only be seen as a good thing, and a natural beginning of the end for the EDL.

Just read this on the BBC website and the thing that worries me is that the police are making their argument based on cost.
I don’t share the views of the edl but banning a protest is wrong and the police need to back out of making demands like this and stick to their job.
It’s the same with organising road races. The police will let you hold a race as long as you cough up

When West Yorkshire Police have been told to reduce spending by 20%, which equates to £96 million over the next 2 years, and have been cutting jobs left right and centre, where do you think the finite amount of money should be spent?

I agree with someone’s right to protest but historically EDL marches turn into fights; they’re very expensive events to Police, and with such wide ranging budget cuts throughout all of the Policing areas of England and Wales, there are no longer the staff available and on duty to Police them. This means overtime and mutual aid from neighbouring forces.

Please try and look past these little media non-stories.

There is currently a systematic attack on the Service as a whole, compounded by budget cuts so deep, with little or no guidance for senior officers on how to manage these cuts.

I wrote this earlier this year on a Policing thread:

The Government are doing a great job in creating negative spin about the Police. They are doing this so that when they enforce the “necessary” changes there will be little sympathy from the Public. The cuts to budgets in general are now having a detrimental effect in the service you, the public, receive. There are now fewer cops on the streets than any time in the last decade. This Government is hell bent on seeing the service fail. If the Police fail then it opens up the argument for privatisation of key functions, and eventually the service as a whole. Look at Lincolnshire Police and the takeover by G4S of civilian posts – a company that couldn’t even fulfil its requirements at the Olympics.

Moreover, look at the way they are trying to introduce local Crime Commisioners – the 1st real step in affiliating the A-Political Police service to Political Parties. Please, look further than the surface issues over pay & conditions and think what it all means. We have a Police Service to be proud of and was. It broken. Ask yourself – why do we need to fix some thing that isn’t broken.